Trails are a great place to spy a variety of beautiful birds, including the bald eagle! | Photo courtesy Boyd Dwyer | CC BY-SA 2.0

Whether you’re an avian aficionado, ornithologist, fan of fowl or simply a person who enjoys the subtle sight of a feather stretching across the wind, you’ll want to check out these nine great birding trails!

By the time she's a college senior, sophomore Bridgette Conboy will have a healthier option than driving or taking a shuttle bus: she will be able to bicycle or walk on a 1.3-mile rail-with-trail between North Carolina's Belmont Abbey College and the town of Belmont.

A healthy rail-trail rivalry is developing in the Carolinas, with both the Old North State and the Palmetto State taking great strides this month to boost active transportation networks in their growing communities.